Sony Starts to Recall Vaio Batteries

Sony has announced it will begin recalling batteries used in Vaio notebook computers sold in Japan and China...but won't say how many batteries or computers may be affected.

Looks like the Sony-made battery recall which has stung Dell, Apple, Lenovo, Fujitsu, and a spate of other PC manufacturers has finally come home to roost: Sony Corporation said today that it would recall batteries used in its Vaio notebook computers sold in Japan and China, and may have to change its earnings forecasts because of costs associated with recalling nearly 8 million notebook computer batteries (so far).

But how many batteries is Sony recalling, and in what markets? Sony says it plans to recall some 90,000 batteries sold in Vaio notebooks sold in Japan and China, but the Japanese business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun says Sony is looking at recalling some 300,000 batteries worldwide, which would put the total number of Sony-made notebook batteries recalled over 8 million, but Sony spokesperson Kei Sakaguchi later said that estimate was based on speculation. So, for right now, the number stands at 90,000…and we’ll just have to wait and see what Sony does next

Sony also said yesterday it may have to restate its revenue forecasts for the year owing to the battery recall, plus revenue lost from delays and price cuts on its forthcoming Playstation 3 console.

Sony’s troubles related to faulty notebook batteries also took another twist yesterday, as computer maker Toshiba said it was considering whether to seek compensation from Sony for damage the battery recall has done to its brand image and notebook computer sales.